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May 27, 1924.

L. A. WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE Filed June 21, 1920 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 r ll l lzl ul u .1 wax/Pi. WITTEFS.

4/ 3 A ffa rm May 27 1924- A. 'WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE Filed June 21. 1920 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 1074612 A. Warns/E's L. A. WATTERS May 27 1924.

AUTOMATI C POSTING MACHINE Filed June 21. 1920 14 Sheets-Sheet 3 L. A. WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE May 27 1924,

Filed June 21, 1920 14 Sjaeets-Sheet 4 CITY Coum'v STA-rs Scnom. PRINCIPAL TOTAL May 27 1924.

L. A. WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE l4 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 21 May 27, 1924. 1,495,977

L. A. WATTERS 4 AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE Filed June 21, 1920 14 Sheets-Sheet 6 law/Ere A. Marv-25 cf wm g' L. A. WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE May 27. 1924- Filed June 21. 1920 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 May .27

L. A. WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE Filed June 21, 1920 14 Sheets-Sheet 10 L. A. WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE Filed June 21, 1920 14 Sheets-Sheet 11 May 27 1924.

L. A. WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE Filed June 21, 1920 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 I alga; I

May w 1,495,97? L. A. wATn'ERs AUTOMATIC Posrnwmcams Filed June 21. 192:) 1.4 Sheets-Sheet w &@ you W.

May 27 495,972 L. A. WATTERS AUTOMATIC POSTING MACHINE Filed June 21, '14 Sheets-Sheet 1 [Ega? I I Federated May 26,,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application filed June :i citi hit. liouis, new and r uel inllniiiveln Posting r chines, of which the following is specification.

This invention relates to a machine adapt ed to inechanicuily gost accounts.

One of the objects of this invention to provide a machine whereby a given account may posted inechanicelty so as to practically eliminate manual operations and conr plications.

Another ohjec t is to provide a machine of the character It erred to, which will not only post the account on a statement, but also on it led; .1 sheet.

Another ohjeet of this invention is to provine a machine of the character referred to, in which a series of iten'is related. to a prinripal item may be automatically posted and may he posted concin'rently with the prin-- cipal item.

Another object 'is to provide it machine of the character referred to, with selective inanipu ii'e means, whereby a given item and also the items relating thereto, may he found and posted.

ilurther objects will appear :troin'the detail description taken in connection with the zwcoinpanying drawings, in which:

iiigu re 1 is a plan of machine embodying this intention;

Fgure is a section on the line 2--2,, litigure 1;

Figure is hers;

a detail of the locating H1813" i: is a plan. of l igure 3;

l igure (Sheet 4:) is a detail. of Figure 3; hi ure 6 (Sheet 5) section on lines 6 0, iggures t and 5;

Figure 7 is a detail side elevation, partly in section, showing the primary locating mechanism;

l lglll't) 8 is detail plan, partly in section, oirtl'ie, line 8--8, Figure '7';

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail of i -igure 7;

l 'igure it) is a detail rear elevation of liigure 7, sl'io'wing the selective manipulative mechanism Figure 11 is a section on the line ll- 'll, liigure lligure is a detail of the selective Ina 1952-1 Serial 1%. 380,451.

nipulative mechanism, showing the interior construction 5 Figure 18 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the secondary locating mechanism;

Figure 1 is a plan oi Figure 13, partly in section, on the line 14 -14;, Figure 13;

Figure 15 is an enlarged detail of Figure 13; v

Figure 16 is a sideelevation, partly in section, showing the tertiary locating mechanism;

l igure ll'i' is a plan oif higr11.e l6, partly in section, on the line 1Z17, Figure 16;

Figure 18 is a detail oi Figure 16;

ltigure 19 is a rear elevation of I I.

Figure E230 is a plan showing the platen 0persting mechanism;

li igure 21. is an enlarged detail of Figure 20, taken on the line 21 21, Figure Figure a section on the line 22 22, Figure 21.; 1

i igure 23 is an enlarged section on the line 23- E33, Figure 20;

Figure is a, detail side elevation of the carriage, its platen, and the operating mechanisms therefor;

l "ure 25 is a detail plan of Figure 24;

gures :26 to 33 inclusive are views SiII1ilar to Figures 2e and 25, but showing the parts in different positions;

Figure 34: is a plan of the mechanism for the carriage;

Figure 85 is a section on the line 35-35, "Ti'rure 3 L;

i', ,u"e 36 is a side elevation of the restoring mechanism taken from the right side on the line 3636, Figure 1;

nigure 37 is a similar view from the left sic e on the line 37 -37, Figure l; and

Figure 38 (Sheet 5) is a face view of a statement or ledger sheet showing the en tries thereon.

in many of the views, parts have been omitted; this has been done to pron'iote clearness, for it all parts behind the plane at which a given view is taken were shown, it would obscure the partcular mechanism under consideration.

in the drawings is shown an en'ibodiinent of this invention as exemplified in a ma chine for posting taxes. It should, however, be understood that this embodiment is sin'iply an example of various kinds of uses and embodiments to Which this invention motor drive may be applied. It will, therefore, be Well to ]ust briefly describe the prior methods of entering taxes.

In the prior method of making up tax books and receipts in tax oiiices, it is the practice of one auditor to call the valuations of the taxes of a given tax payer to a certain party, who in turn, locates the valuation on a tax computing table. In these tax computing tables, the principal items or the tax valuations are arranged in a column, while the diflerent taxes, such as county, State, school taxes, etc, and the totals corresponding to these items, are entered in columns, so that the taxes for a given principal item or valuations are arranged in a line. Accordingly, the second auditor referred to when a valuation is called, locates the valuation on the tax computing table, holding a rule from the location of the valuation across the table to the total valuation of the taxes at the end of the line. The second uditor will. then call out to a third auditor or poster, the amount of the individual taxes under the different classes, and these taxes well as the total are then entered into the ledger and onto the statement. It will, of course, be obvious that such hand method is not only laborious. but also is liable to cause errors in the entrance of the taxes both in the ledger and on the statement.

In accordance with the specific embodiment of this invention, the tax computing table is set on a printing bed, so that there will be printing lines and columns corresponding to the nincipal items or tax valuations and the related items or taxes and the totals corresponding to the principal items. A carriage is provided which is arranged to travel over the bed so as to aline a platen with a given line of type corresponding; to a given principal item or tax valuation and its related items or the taxes and totals corresponding to that valuation. l pon cooperation of the platen and the type, the tax valuation well as the. various taxes and the lotal will be printed on a sheet on the platen so as to record the same.

A keyboard is prm'idcd which controls the travel of the carriage, so that upon depression of keys corresponding to the principal item or tax valuation, the carriage will be located in order to position the platen in proper cooperative relation with the printing line containing the principal item and the related items.

The carriage provided with two platens, namely a main platen for receiving the statement, and a supplemental plat en for receiving the ledger sheet. After the entry of the principal and related items on the statement on the main platen, the carriage moves so as to position the supplemental platen in proper cooperative rela- Lns) and along the printing lines.

The bed 9 is formed wit-h a transverse.

dovetailed groove 11 at its forward end extending transversely of the bed, the rear end of the bed being provided with a similar groove. Arranged on the bed are strips 12 which carry the type 13, and which strips are secured in place by headed shanks 14 taking into the grooves 11 and holding the strips in place. The type may be of any suitable form, such as embossed. type, or any other form adapted for cooperation with a platen.

When a series of type stri are secured on the bed, they are arranged to form columns and lines of type, the columns extending along the bed, and the lines across the bed so as to form, for instance, a computing table such as used for the entering of taxes. Accordingly, an end column, such as the right column Figure 1, will contain the principal item, such as the tax valuations, while the other columns will contain the related items, such as the different taxes and the totals corresponding to the principal items, and the related items corresponding to a principal item will, there fore, be arranged in a line with the principal item. The principal items will. of course, be in the decimal system, but in view of the fact that the principal items in practice are varied in steps of five dollars, the. line varies in units of five.

Arranged along' the sides 2 are tracks 1;; which receive groove rolls 1.6 of a carriage arranged to travel along the printing bed. This carriage com nrises a body of end plates 17 connected by shafts l8 and It) on which the rolls 16 are mounted, this carriage being otherwise braced by cross bars as here inafter described, to form a rigid structure. The. carriage has mounted thereon a main platen M and a supplemental platen S. these platens extending across the printing bed 7 The carriage has also mounted thereon pairs of latches 20 and 21 for a purpose hereinafter to be described, the main latches 20 correspondingto the main platen, while the supplemental latches 21 corresponding to the supple mental platen, there being a main latch and a supplemental latch at each end of the carrier, and these latches being pivoted for vertical movement hereinafter described.

or 0" notches or locating elements on the bars and are in alinement and are engaged hy the main latches 20. so as to maintain the main platen RI in O position. At this time. the arm (31 is maintained in 0 position by the engagement of the pin 60 behind the arm 58. Let us assume now that the third or 2" stop 47 is depressed. Upon the depression of this 2 stop, the lower end thereof will be projected beyond the cross bar 46 tron: a position where it clears the arm 61. to a position where it in the path ol? that arm. The engagement of the shoulder on the depressed stop t? with the cross bar 54 will move the arm 58 to dotted position (Fig. 7), thereby moving it out of the path of the pin 60 on the arm 61 so that the spring 67 will move the side members 40 to dotted position until the arm 60 is arrested by the 2 stop. As the stop is fully depressed, it will be latched by the latch bar 50 so that this stop will remain latched in depressed position even it pressure on the stop is removed.

is the side members 40 move to the right, l igs. and 7, they will in hearing against. moval'ile bars 35, shi'tt these bars along the bars 30 for a distance sulticient to cause the 3 notch or locating element 39 to aline with the 3 notch or locating element 33, while all of the other notches will be out of alinement. Now the movement oil the bar will cause the main latches 20 to he raised out oil the O locatii'ig notches 33 and 25$) whereby the carriage is released. This carriage will now under the action of its yieldingly acting motor move to the right F igu re 2 until the main latches 2O reach the alined 3 notches or locating elements when these main latches will drop into these notches so as to primarily locate the car riage. This carriage is, therefore, located with the main platen M. along and in co operative relation with the line of type corrcspondimg; to the principal item 900 and the related items on the same line.

'f'im .wn-mnZa/w inflating mac/minim:.

lel'erring to l igures 'l, .3, 4., 1%, ti, and la), the side plates 4-3 have mounted thereon cross bars it) and on these cross bars are mounted plates Tl which are connected by side bars 72. The plates Tl may also be connected by bars 73 so as to form together with the bars 72 a frame mounted on a bar 70 as hereinafter described. Slidably mounted upon the bar 72 are stops 74, there being in this case also a series of ten-second ary stops. These stops are properly spaced by collars 69 on the bar 72 and are retained in normal raised position by springs 75 anchored to the bars 72 and connected with the stops.

Each stop has shoulder 7 6 arranged for cooperation with a cross bar 77 mounted on arms 78 tixed to a rock shaft 79, one of these arms having an extension 80 connected With a spring 81 anchored on one of the plates 71. The function of the shoulder 76 and cross bar 77 is similar to the function of the shoulder 49 and the cross bar 50 heretofore described, nan'iely to latch the stops in depre sed position against the tension ot' the springs 7 5.

Each stop has a shoulder 82 arranged to engage a cross bar 83 carried by arms 84 fixed to a rock shaft 85 mounted in the plates as, one of the arms having an extension 86 provided With a beveled portion.

87 in the path of a pin 88 on an arm 89 pivoted on a bracket 90 on the frame and provided With an extension 91 connected with a pin 92 on the cross bar 32. A spring 93 connected with an extension on the arm 86 and anchored on the plate 43 normally operates to hold the arm with its tip in front of the pin 88, the frame being arrested by one of the cross bars 70. The arm 89 is, therefore, held in normal or 0 position, but when released will travel underneath the stops 74v and it one of these stops is depressed into the path of the arm, it will be arrested.

Assuming that the carriage has been. located in the primary position by the alined 3" locating elements 33 and 39 as heretofore described, at which time the tension exerted on the carriage by the motor mechanism will exert through the engagement of the main latches 20 With the locating elements or notches in the bars 30, a tension on the bars 30 and 35 to the right, Figure 13 and assrnning also that at this time secondary 9 stop 7% is depressed so as to cause it to project to dotted position, Figure 13, in the path of the arm 89 and become latched in that position the following operation will take place.

The engagement of the shoulder 82 With the cross bar 83 will move the arm 86 to dotted position, Figure 13, so as to move it out of the path of the pin 88 on the arm 89, thereby releasing this arm and causing it to move to dotted positions, Figures 13 and l l, until arrested by the 9 secondary stop 74 as SllOWll. Accordingly, the bars 30 and the bars 35 ttrictionally connected therewith will move forwardly with the carriage to nine division of the space between the primary notches 33, so that the main platen Ill) will now be positioned along the line of i type on the printing bed identified by the principal item 290 as noted, also in dotted positions, Figures 26 and 27. Accordingly, the main platen Will be secondarily positioned.

The tertiary locating mechanism.

The primary and secondary locations are each ten in number corresponding to the decimal system. A mrordin 'ly, there are ten primary positions as determined by the ten notches 153 and 39 and the ten stops ll, and there are ten secondary positions as determined by the ten stops 7 1-. In view of the fact, however, that in this particular embodiment the principal items need be determined only in units of live. there is only an intermediate tertiary position between any two sccoi'idary positions.

Referring to lz 'g'ures 1, 2, 3, -l-.. 1.6, 17, 18 and 1.), as previously ;l.escribed, the stops 7 1- are mounted in a frame, comprising, the bars T0 and 73 and the plates 71, and this tame is mounted. tor endwise movement on the bar 70, this frame carrying rolls 100 engaging the lower bars to permit Such movement. Springs 101 connecting a bracket 102 with. one of the plates 71. normally tend to move this frame to the left, Figure 19. but this frame is normally retained in full line position, lfiigure 18, by latch 103 mounted on a rock shaft 10 1 in the plates 4-) and arranged to take in front of one of the plates 71.. The rock shaft 1041 has an arm 105 connected with a. spring 106 anchmred on one of the plates 48 and hold ingthe arm 105 against a stop 10? with the latch 103 in trout of the plate '71.. The latch and plate have cooperating beveled portions 100 and .100. .mcordingly, when the latch i s moved to dotted position, Figure 18, the springs 101 will move the traine carrying the stops 74- one-halt stop until the frame is arrested by the side plate 13.

Xissuining, that toe main platen has been. g'n'imarily located at 290 through the primary and SQt'OTlCltlY-f, locating mechanism. as heretcd'ore descril'ied, upon actuation of the latch 105% (releasing the frame carrying, the stops 7 1 and causing these stops 7 1- to be carried onward a halt space, the onward. movement of the depressed stop 74 engaged by the arm 89 being; followed by the arm under the tension exerted on the can riagre) will cause the carriage to be moved onward one-halt step so as to position the main platen at 52-95 as shown in full line position, l inurcs Q8 and 29. Accordingly, the main. platen will be tertiarily located along the line ot typo identified by the principal item 5295". (if: course. in the partim lar embodiment described. there is only one tertiary location intermediate the spacings; of each secondary location. This is, however. only tor the reason that only one such intermediate t .itiary location is nee sary in this particular embodiment, and it will be obvious that a series of tertiary locations may be readily obtained.

T710 acted/foe manipulative mechanism.

illetli'erring to Figures 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 16, the key board in this partleular einhooiment comprises ten keys. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide shittable transmission mechanism between the keys and the stops in order to permit the same set of keys to be utilized for primary, secondary and tertiary locations. Each key 115 has a shank passing tl'irough a. plate .116 on the frame and a slotted guide 117 connecting the side plates The key shanks are engaged by a cross bar 118 mounted. in arms 119 fixed to the rock shaft 120 mounted in the plates 43, and a spring 121 connected with an extension on one of the arms 110 andv anchored on one of the plates 413, normally holds these keys in raised position.

hilounted below the key shanks is a transmitter carrier 122 provided with rolls 1.23 projeeti11;; through and guided in slots in the plates 4-3 so that the carrier will move ttorward and backward. The carrier has mounted therein a series of ten plungers 1%, arranged below and in alineinent with the key shanks and normally held in raised position by springs 1525. These plunge/rs 124 are arranged to be successively alined with lugs 126 on the primary stops 4;? and lugs 12? on the secondary stops 74-. The plunger opposite and engaged by the 5 key is also a rrai'lgcd to engage an arm 128 fixed to the rock shaft 10-1.

The carrier 122 is engaged by an arm 1.529 pivoted on one of the plates :13 and connected. with a s n'ing 130 anchored on the plate. .icrordingly, the spring 130 tends to move the carrierto the lettflligjure T. This carrier is provided with three stops 131, 132, and 133 arranged to be engaged by pawls 134.- and 1 35 pivoted at 136 on the plate 113 and connected by a spring: 137. These pawls have extensions 138 and 135) embracing a pin 1:40 on an arm 14:1 fixed to the rock shaft 120.

In the normal position of parts as shown in Figure 12 and full line position Figure '7, the carrier will be arrested by the pawl 134- .engaging the first slop 1.31, it being noted that the pawl 134- is slightly longer than the pawl 1.35. ilcciin'dingly, the carrier will be located. with tho plungers .1251 thereon. in alinenient with the lugs 120' on the primary stops 4 7. 'll'ierefore, upon depression of any key such as the 2 key, the correspomling primary stop will be deynessed so as to cause primary location of the .main platen as heretofore described. Upon such depression of a key. the pawl 13 1 will HIOVQ out of the path of the first stop 131 so that the spring 130 will morethe carrier forwardly butonly a slight distance. As the key is released causing it to rise un der the tension 01': the spring 121, it being noted that the depressed stop has been latched in depressed position, the. spring 121 will return the pawlgbut since the carrier has shifted so that the stop 131 is behind the tip of the pawl 134;, the spring 137 will yield, and as the pawl 136 moves out of the path of the stop 131, the carrier is IDOTECl forwardly until the second stop 132 engages the pawl 134: thereby locating the carrier with the plungers thereon in alinement with the lugs 127 on the secondary stops 74:, as shown in. full lines Figure 13.

Upon the depression of any key, such as the 9 key, Figure 13, through the medium of the corresponding plunger, the corre sponding 9 stop will be depressed and latched in depressed position thereby secondarily locating the main platen as heretofore described. Upon the secondary actuation of the key and upon return thereof, the plunger carrier will again be shifted until arrested by the engagement of the third stop 133 with the pawl 13 1, thereby locating the 5 plunger opposite the arm 1.28 as shown in Figures 16 and 18.

Upon the depression of the 5 key, it will operate through the corresponding plunger to shift the latch 103, thereby releasing the frame carrying the secondary stops 74: so as to permit this frame and the depressed secondary stop to shift asufficient distance onward to locate the main platen in tertiary position as heretofore described. It will be noted that the third stop 133 is extended as shown in Figure 12, so that the plunger carrier will not be further shiftcd upon depression of the tertiarily depressed key as it is wholly unnecessary to further shift the same.

Platen operating merit/191.5872].

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 20, 21, 22, and 23, the sides 2 of the frame have mount ed thereon brackets 150 upon which are mounted rock shafts 151 extending along the ma.- chine. These rock shafts have fixed thereto arms 152 which carry bars 153 also extending along the machine for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The rock shafts 151 have arms 154 slotted to receive pins 155 on arock shaft 156 mounted in brackets 157 on the machine frame at the forward end of the machine, and this rock shaft has fixed thereto a handle 158 projecting through the top 6 and connected with a spring 159 anchored on the frame.

The spring 159 normally holds the parts in full line position Figures 21, 22 and 23. WVhen, however, the handle 158 is pulled. forwardly, the bars 1.53 will be moved down to dotted position so as to actuate the platen mechanism as hereinafter described.

T he platens.

Referring to Figures 1, 2. 2 1:, 25, 30 and laten frame elevated as shown in Figp ures 2 and 2 1.

Mounted for vertical sliding increment on the end members 17 of the carrier are a pair of slides 1.6 1: which have laterally turned lugs 165 in the path of the bars Pivoted at 166 to these slides are a pair of arms 167, the tips of which are arranged to engage pins 168 on arms .169 fixed to the rock shaft 160 on which. the frame 161 is also fixed. The arm 167 is connected by a link 170 with an arm 171 fixed to the rock shaft 172 on which the latches 20 are fixed. The construction is such that when the latches 20 are down or in alinement with the notches 33 and 39, the tips of the arms 167 will be in a position to engage the pins 168 as shown in Figure 24. hen, however, the latches 20 are raised, as shown, for instance, in Figures 32 and 33, and in dotted lines Figures 36 and 31, the tip of the arm will be out of the path. of the pin 168. Accordingly. when the arms 167 are in the path of the pins 168, depression of the bars 153 will by depressing the slides 164 and by engagement of the arms 167 with the pins 168, cause the frame 161 to move down, thereby moving the main platen M into engagement with the line. of

type as shown in Figure 30.

The platen M is provided with a sta tionary guide 173 for guiding the sheet around the platen and a supplemental guide 174 is also provided for further guiding the sheet around the platen, this guide being pivoted on the shaft 175 of the platen and having arms connected by links 17 6 with slides 177 mounted on the frame 161.. Each slide is connected with an arm 178 also pivoted on. the carriage and provided with a pin 179 arranged to engage abutments 180 fixed to the end plates of the carriage. The guide 174 is held in normal position envel0p ing the platen by springs 181 connecting the arms 178 with the frame 161..

The platen M has a ratchet 182 arranged. to be engaged by a pawl 183 pivoted on the slide 177 and coni'lected therewith by a sprin 184. This pawl has an extension 185 arranged to engage a pin 186 on the frame 161. The sheet is further held against the platen by rolls 187 mounted on arms pivoted on the frame 161 and these rolls are held against the platen by springs 188. The. roll. carrying arms are provided with manipulative parts 169 whereby these rolls may be moved out of engagement with the platen. li'founted for sliding movement on the platen shaft 175 is a frame 190 which is slotted to expose the sheet on the platen and which is arranged to receive a ribbon 191. see Figure 2).

The latches 20 have projecting therefrom pins 192 arranged to be engaged by cam lugs 193 and. 194 on an arm 195 pivoted on 

